Make quinoa salad irresistible with artichoke hearts and feta cheese

Brandi is natural born food lover of anything from gourmet cheeses and wine down to plain baked breads. When not in the kitchen cooking, she loves to be outdoors, especially near the ocean. She puts her focus mainly on healthy organic ea...

Quinoa has become such a popular staple over the past couple years since being classified as a superfood. Loaded with protein and nutrients and ideal for vegans and vegetarians, this ingredient easily made its way into my kitchen.

I wanted to make a salad using quinoa, but I wasn't looking for one that would be served cold. So I cooked the quinoa and tossed it while still warm with diced artichoke hearts, fresh vegetables and salty feta cheese. Drizzled with a light, lemony dressing, it's exactly what I was looking for.

Image: Brandi Bidot/SheKnows

This salad is so flavorful, plus it's gluten-free and healthy, to boot. You can even make this dish ahead of time, and the chilled leftovers are fantastic for lunch the following day, if desired.

Image: Brandi Bidot/SheKnows

Warm quinoa salad with artichoke hearts and feta recipe

Serves 6

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the salad

1-1/2 cups uncooked quinoa

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup diced marinated artichoke hearts

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 cups chopped baby spinach

For the dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

To a pot, add the quinoa and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes or until all the broth has cooked away.

Transfer the cooked quinoa to a bowl, fluff it with a fork, and then add the remaining salad ingredients.

To a separate bowl, add the ingredients for the dressing, and mix very well.